It will be the most wonderful time of the year for NBA teams as a select few on Christmas Day will play, but there's no doubt that the Miami Heat have had the most success on the holiday. They have a whopping record at 11-2 on the holiday, but they have a .846 winning percentage on the holiday, which makes it the best in the association on Christmas.
After being unable to make the cut the past few seasons, the Heat are in it this year as they face an Eastern Conference rival in the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers come into this game with an exceptional 20-8 record which puts them at third in the conference behind the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks.
As for the Heat, it has already been a rollercoaster of a season as they have dealt with injury problems and fourth-quarter slip-ups. However, Miami is coming off of a quality win against the Atlanta Hawks last Friday where they had a lead going into the final period, but they built it up and sustained it until they won. They are currently 17-12 on the season which is good for fifth in the East.
With a huge East matchup set for Christmas Day, there will be a lot of eyes on the game, but at the end of the day, one team will go home with lots of cheer and in the festive mood, and the other will have lumps of coal in their stockings.
Here are our predictions for the Heat's Christmas Day game against the Sixers:
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How will injuries impact this Heat-Sixers clash?
There are major injuries happening on both sides of the matchup that can greatly impact the performance and the eventual outcome. However, it's arguable that Philadelphia's side is more effected by the news of Sixers superstar Joel Embiid who is out for the Christmas Day game with a right ankle sprain. As expected, look for Tyrese Maxsey and Tobias Harris to cause potential problems for Miami.
Embiid suffered the injury in their win against the Toronto Raptors and while it isn't perceived to be anything serious, it is still an aspect worth monitoring as the reigning MVP has had injury problems in the past. He has been on an absolute tear this season as he's averaging 35 points, 11.7 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks per game as Embiid is the front runner for MVP once again.
For the Heat, they have returned crucial players like Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, but star Jimmy Butler has missed the past two games with a left calf strain. He has been upgraded to questionable for this game which is a very good sign. Even with the likes of Embiid and Butler out, which team has the advantage?
As mentioned before with the returns of Miami's young stars, plus how well the bench and second unit have been playing led by rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr., the home team should be well-equipped to take down an Embiid-less Sixers. While injuries have plagued the Heat for a long time now, they have been battle-tested with other rotations, making them ready for any challenge with a multitude of lineups.
Herro will continue his scorching return
Even though Herro had been electric to start the season, he's been even better coming back from an ankle injury that has kept him out since early November. In the three games since returning, he's averaged around 27 points per game, is active on the glass, and facilitated some assists.
Going against Philadelphia, he can have another statement performance that can show the NBA as a whole why Herro should be considered a star player. It has been known about the massive trade rumors surrounding him since he was drafted by Miami, but the team has done well to stay with him and play it out.
Last game, the Heat's Herro scored 30 points against the Hawks, expect him to do the same this time around, especially if Butler misses his third straight game. Heat fans have still been waiting to see their big three in action as they have only played seven games this season all together.
Another great outing for Adebayo
In the laundry list of standout players for the Heat, one could argue that Adebayo has been the best-performing player on the team this season. He has showed off his elite defense that can guard any position, he has improved more on his offense, and he impacts the game in every facet.
It would have been an exciting matchup for Adebayo if he were to go up against a superstar like Embiid, but not everybody gets what they want for Christmas. In some ways though, it might be a present for Adebayo as he has the easier matchup against Paul Reed and Mo Bamba.
Meaning, Adebayo will record another double-double Monday night to put a cap to an excellent Christmas. While players like Herro and Adebayo will have great performances, it will come away as a complete team victory to bring the Heat's winning streak to three games with two left to go to close out 2023.
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